Unanticipated yaw (referred to herein as loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE)) causes a rotorcraft to twist around a vertical axis and requires a deft and vigilant response on the part of the rotorcraft pilot in order to safely recover. A rotorcraft is more susceptible to LTE when the pilot is operating in low airspeed and there is either a left crosswind (for rotorcraft with blades that rotate counter clockwise) or a tailwind. Right hand turns are more susceptible to LTE than left hand turns (again, for rotorcraft with blades that rotate counter clockwise). Therefore, during the course of rotorcraft operations, maintaining acute awareness of wind direction and wind velocity is essential.
During the course of rotorcraft operations, pilots are required to make accurate and fast interpretations of the information presented by all components of the rotorcraft display system. Specifically, the rotorcraft pilot is heavily dependent upon information presented on the cockpit display, which typically comprises a primary flight display (PFD) and a multi-function display (MFD). The PFD and MFD visually convey information (e.g., flight path information, Navigational Aids (NAVAID), airspace information, terrain information, weather information, performance information, traffic information, and the like) obtained from various databases, sensors and transponders.
Accordingly, alerting a pilot to a potential unanticipated LTE with simple intuitive symbology on the cockpit display is desirable. The desired method and system evaluates rotorcraft airspeed, wind velocity, wind direction, and rotorcraft height above ground to predict several scenarios for LTE zones. The desired method and system overlays or superimposes simple intuitive symbology on the existing PFD and/or MFD to alert a pilot to a potential LTE. The desired method and system decreases pilot cognitive workload, and thus increases pilot situational awareness.